The present invention relates to a front structure of a motorcycle body comprising a front cowling including a head lamp unit and a meter unit respectively disposed on the front head portion of the front cowling.
A motorcycle of a type that its body front head portion is covered with a front cowling made of synthetic resin in order to reduce the air resistance thereof is known. In this motorcycle, a head lamp unit is disposed on the front head portion of the front cowling and a meter unit is disposed in the vicinity of the upper rear portion of the head lamp unit.
Further, on the front cowling, there is disposed a transparent screen in order to secure the front view for a rider; and, the screen is designed so as to rise just from the upper portion of the head lamp unit. In order to increase the area of the screen to thereby secure the wide view for the rider, the position of the meter unit may be lowered down as much as possible. For this purpose, the meter unit is mounted in the vicinity of the upper rear portion of the head lamp unit so as to be able not only to secure the front view for the rider but also to secure the visibility of the meter unit.
Generally, in the case of the head lamp unit, bulbs are replaced by removing a lid-shaped or boot-shaped bulb mounting and removing portion disposed in the rear surface of the head lamp unit. However, as described above, since the meter unit is installed in the vicinity of the upper rear portion of the head lamp unit, the meter unit provides an obstacle, that is, the meter unit makes it difficult to mount and remove the bulb mounting portion, so that it is very difficult to replace the bulbs. In case where the meter unit is installed upwardly of the head lamp unit, the bulbs can be replaced easily; however, this structure obstructs the front view for the rider to a great extent.
The case where the meter unit is disposed greatly backwardly of the head lamp unit, while securing the front view for the rider, the efficiency of the bulb replacing operation can be enhanced to a certain degree. However, in this case, not only the visibility of the meter unit is impaired, but also the distance between the head lamp unit and the front head portion (head pipe) of the body frame of the motorcycle is increased to thereby make it necessary to increase the size of the body of the motorcycle.